Reflection — Journalism is a field I enjoy

July 8, 2014

By Madeline Wells

In my two years on The Beat, I’ve gotten to pursue journalism not only inside school, but outside of school as well.

I initially discovered my passion for it through journalism class at school, and when I heard about The Beat from my teacher, I couldn’t wait to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. Getting the chance to write for a real newspaper as a high school student was quite a unique and exciting experience.

Madeline WellsIssaquahHigh School

I had teachers and family friends mention seeing my articles printed in The Issaquah Press, and some students I interviewed even got a little excited to be in the paper. The group discussions, thoughtful ideas and well-written articles being put together by teens are what made the extra work worthwhile.

As I have now graduated from high school, I won’t be on The Beat next year, but I look forward to pursuing writing and journalism in the future. I will be attending UC Berkeley next fall, and I hope to get the chance to write for its well-organized and widely read paper, The Daily Californian.

Writing for The Beat has given me some of the skills I need to write for a college newspaper, and I may even pursue a degree in English or media studies, as I’ve found that journalism is a field I really enjoy.